Tuesday, October 25

This Day In History

• 1400   Author Geoffrey Chaucer died in London.
  
• 1760   Britain's King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.
  
• 1812   The U.S. frigate United States captured the British vessel Macedonian during the War of 1812.
  
• 1854   The "Charge of the Light Brigade" took place during the Crimean War.
  
• 1870   The first U.S. trademark was awarded -- to the Averill Chemical Paint Company of New York City.
  
• 1918   The Canadian steamship Princess Sophia foundered off the coast of Alaska; nearly 400 people died.
  
• 1951   Peace talks aimed at ending the Korean War resumed in Panmunjom.
  
• 1962   U.S. ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson presented photographic evidence of Soviet missile bases in Cuba to the U.N. Security Council.
  
• 1962   Author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
  
• 1983   U.S. Marines and Rangers, assisted by soldiers from six Caribbean nations, invaded Grenada; President Ronald Reagan said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.
  
• 1986   The Boston Red Sox lost Game 6 of the World Series to the New York Mets when a routine ground ball went through Boston first baseman Bill Buckner's legs, allowing the winning run to score in the 10th inning.
  
• 1994   Susan Smith of Union, S.C., claimed that a black carjacker had driven off with her two sons. She later confessed to drowning the children and was convicted of murder.
  
• 1999   Golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet flew uncontrolled for four hours before crashing in South Dakota.
  
• 1999   Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan bolted the GOP to mount a bid for the Reform Party nomination.
  
• 2002   Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., 58, was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota along with his wife, daughter and five others.
  
• 2003   Florida State's Bobby Bowden became the winningest coach in major college football history with his 339th victory as the Seminoles beat Wake Forest 48-24.
  

Happy Birthday To

• 1340   Geoffrey Chaucer (poet: Canterbury Tales; actual date of birth unknown; died Oct 25, 1400)
  
• 1825   Johann Strauss (‘The Waltz King’: composer: On the Beautiful Blue Danube, Emperor Waltz, Tales from the Vienna Woods, Wine, Women and Song; operettas: Die Fledermaus, A Night in Venice, The Gypsy Baron; died June 3, 1899)
  
• 1881   Pablo Picasso (artist: founder of cubism: Guernica, Ma Jolie; died Apr 8, 1973)
  
• 1888   Richard E. (Evelyn) Byrd (polar explorer: first to see North Pole; died Mar 11, 1957)
  
• 1912   Minnie Pearl (Sarah Ophelia Colley) (comedienne: "Howdee!": On Stage America, Hee Haw, Grand Ole Opry; singer: Giddyup Go-Answer; CMA Hall of Famer; died Mar 4, 1996)
  
• 1940   Bobby Knight (Basketball Hall of Famer: coach: Indiana University)
  
• 1941   Helen Reddy (singer)